A DAREDEVIL teenager will be shunning the normal Valentine's Day rituals this year as she spends the most romantic day of the year leaping from a plane.

Megan Thomas, aged 18, of Lower Moor, near Pershore, will be undertaking the skydive on February 14 in a bid to raise some money to help orphaned children in Malawi.

The Pershore High School sixth former needs to raise £5,900 in order to travel to the southeast African country and volunteer at an orphanage for 12 months.

As part of the fundraising she will be taking part in the daring challenge at Hinton-in-the-Hedges airfield in the south of Northamptonshire.

Miss Thomas, who speaks German as well as English thanks to spending part of her childhood on the continent, will be doing the volunteering with Project Trust, a charity organisations that provides volunteer placements abroad.

"I recently attended a selection course on the Isle of Coll and they have given me a placement in Malawi, Africa for 12 months volunteering in an orphanage as of August 2015," she said.

"During this social care project I will be doing a number of things, such as teaching them important life skills so that they can create a better future for themselves and their community and giving them small everyday comforts that we take for granted.

"The money raised is not for me personally but to enable me to care for the children. The year would give me an insight into a different culture and new way of life, it will give me an opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and help me develop invaluable skills and learn new ones to incorporate in future studies.

"The experience will also give me a different perspective on life as well as giving them a better value of life."

To offer Miss Thomas some support or sponsorship visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MeganThomas4 or email 007161@pershore.worcs.sch.uk.